Orlando City B vs. Atlanta United 2: Final Score 2-0 as Young Lions Claim Three Road Points

Orlando City B (3-2-4, 16 points) took all three points on the road tonight, defeating Southeast rival Atlanta United 2 (5-3-1, 16 points) 2-0 in Athens, GA. Gustavo Caraballo and Issah Haruna were the goal scorers as the Young Lions continue to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made four changes to the team that drew 2-2 with Crown Legacy on May 3. Luca Maxim, Colin Guske, Tahir Reid-Brown, and Jayden Yearwood started in place of Tristan Himes, Landon Okonski, Titus Sandy, Jr., and Matthew Belgodere.

The back line in front of Maxim in goal was Bernardo Rhein, Reid-Brown, Guske, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Ignacio Gomez and Dylan Judelson were the defensive midfielders behind Harvey Sarajian, Haruna, and Caraballo with Pedro Leao up top.

The Young Lions were the better team in the first 45 minutes, taking a 1-0 lead into the break. However, they desperately clung to the one-goal advantage as Atlanta came storming out of the halftime break. Left back Daniel Chica played a significant role in this game and not in a good way. He conceded the penalty that resulted in the first goal and was sent off with a second yellow card in the 70th minute. That gave OCB all it needed to see out the game, with a Haruna goal in the 75th minute effectively sealing the three points.

The Young Lions had the first attack in the third minute when a steal at the top of the OCB box resulted in a counterattack. Caraballo found Haruna near midfield and the 22-year-old midfielder cut to lose his defender before playing Sarajian forward on the left. After a couple of touches, Sarajian put his shot on target, but Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert did well to tip it wide.

The Young Lions nearly had a second chance less than a minute later when a good ball into the box nearly connected with Guske. However, it was cleared and Atlanta was able to avoid any further trouble.

OCB got behind the Atlanta back line again in the eighth minute when Rhein played an excellent ball for Sarajian making a run from the sideline. The attacker got behind Chica, who attempted a desperate slide tackle. Sarajian went down and referee Nicholas Strednak pointed to the spot.

Caraballo stepped up to take the penalty and, as Hibbert dove to his right, he sent a panenka down the middle to give the Young Lions the early 1-0 lead.

Atlanta got its first good look in the 12th minute when center back Mohamed Cisset dribbled over midfield before lifting the ball over Guske’s head and into the OCB box. It was a misplay by Guske, allowing Arif Kovac to get in on goal. The forward opened up and attempted to curl the ball around Maxim, but the young goalkeeper did well to get down and make the save.

As the Young Lions looked to play the ball out of the back in the 27th minute, Amoo-Mensah lost possession to Cisset near the top of the OCB box. The center back dribbled to the edge of the six-yard box before laying it off for Cameron Dunbar. The midfielder should’ve at least put a shot on target but sent it wide of the far post.

Another defensive mistake by OCB in the 32nd minute gave Atlanta another opportunity. Matthew Senanou sent a ball over the top for Ignacio Suarez that Rhein attempted to head away. However, it skipped off the left back’s head, allowing Suarez to enter the box. The attacker’s second touch was a shot that Maxim tipped off target.

The ensuing corner kick found Kovac’s head just beyond the back post, but the header was right to Maxim, allowing OCB to clear.

OCB was looking to create space for a shot in the 36th minute, but a poor pass allowed Atlanta to break the other way. Enzo Dovlo made a run into the OCB half before laying the ball off and receiving it right back. Dovlo chipped the ball to the top of the box, where Adyn Torres brought it down and fired. Fortunately, Amoo-Mensah got back into position and blocked the attempt out of play.

The ensuing set piece was headed out, but Atlanta retained possession. This time Dunbar sent a cross into the box with Dovlo making a near-post run. However, Maxim came off his line to punch the ball away before anyone in black could get a foot to it.

The Young Lions thought they had doubled their lead in the 38th minute when the high press forced Chica into a turnover. Leao and Gomez quickly played the ball to Sarajian, who sent Haruna behind the Atlanta back line. The 2026 MLS SuperDraft pick slipped the ball past Hibbert, but the flag went up for offside.

OCB’s high press created another chance in the second minute of stoppage time when Sarajian took the ball off Chica. The attacker was behind the back line, firing from the top of the box. His shot beat the goalkeeper, however, it hit the right post, keeping the lead at 1-0.

Down a goal, it was unsurprising that the hosts were the more attacking team out of the break. They created their first second-half chance in the 52nd minute when Dominik Chong-Qui found Dovlo on the right side of the box. The attacker beat Rhein one-on-one before firing wide of the near post.

Two minutes later, Atlanta created two more chances. On the first, Suarez sent the ball to Dovlo on the right. The midfielder found Kovac at the top of the box, but Amoo-Mensah got in front to block his shot. Torres took possession and played it out left for Chong-Qui, who sent a dangerous low pass into the box. But none of his teammates were close to the pass, allowing Reid-Brown to clear it.

Caraballo collected the ball in his own third, but soon gave it to Chong-Qui. The defender played the ball to Dunbar in the box and the midfielder spun to shoot. The attempt went wide of the near post, though Maxim was in good position to make the stop if it had been on target.

Atlanta nearly had another chance in the 61st minute when Caraballo lost possession again, this time just inside his own half. Chong-Qui played a nice ball behind the back line for Kovac, who looked to be in on goal. But Maxim came well off his line to beat the attacker to the ball.

Maxim’s clearance went out for an Atlanta throw-in, but Cisset immediately lost it to Haruna. OCB broke the other way with Gomez carrying the ball over the midfield stripe. He found Sarajian to his left and the attacker fired from just outside the box. However, Hibbert dove to his right and tipped the ball wide.

Former OCB player Moises Tablante had come on in the 60th minute and took his first shot six minutes later, when he received Dovlo’s pass near the top of the box. The attacker tried to beat Maxim to his near post from distance but sent the attempt wide.

Things went from bad to worse for Atlanta in the 69th minute when Adrian Gill received a pass from Dovlo and Gomez immediately tapped it off his foot. Sarajian started the counterattack before Chica slid in with a hard challenge. The defender had already been cautioned in the eighth minute and Strednak immediately displayed a second yellow, reducing the hosts to 10 men.

Liam Butts entered the game in the 71st minute and he didn’t take long to make his presence known. He received a pass from Dunbar in the 74th minute and turned to shoot, but Guske was there to block it out of play for a corner kick.

After Tablante’s first set piece was knocked out of play, his second found Butts’ head beyond the far post. However, Maxim was there to make the stop to maintain the OCB lead.

Despite being a man down, Atlanta appeared to be on the front foot. But the Young Lions quickly took the momentum back. Playing the ball out of back after Maxim’s save, Rhein played it to Sarajian near midfield, and the midfielder found Haruna making a run behind the Atlanta back line. Hibbert came off his line and Cisset desperately tried to get back. However, Haruna took his chance well, slipping the ball under Hibbert and in to double the advantage.

Before the game could restart, Wilding made his first three changes of the game. Clovis Archange, Matthew Belgodere, and Titus Sandy, Jr. had been standing at midfield for several minutes before finally replacing Reid-Brown, Sarajian, and Guske.

Tablante tripped Gomez in the 79th minute in the Atlanta third, allowing the hosts to make a change. Andrew Jardines came on for Dunbar. Caraballo went for goal on the free kick, sending his attempt over the crossbar. Wilding used the stoppage to make his fourth change, replacing Amoo-Mensah with Yearwood.

Jardines sent a low ball forward down the left in the 86th minute for Tablante and Caraballo quickly fouled him. During the stoppage, Wilding made his final change, replacing Haruna with 16-year-old academy product Jacob Ramirez.

Gill’s ensuing free kick into the box was loose, allowing Tablante to get a shot off. It went behind Maxim but inches too high, bouncing off the crossbar. Patrick Weah took possession before Rhein won it back for OCB, ending the attack.

OCB had a good chance for a third goal in the 89th minute when Rhein sent Belgodere down the left. The substitute beat Amir Henry one-on-one before sending a dangerous cross to the penalty spot from the end line. Ramirez was making a run and his first touch was a shot on target. Hibbert was too far away to make an impact, but Cisset got in front, blocking the attempt and surely a third goal for the Young Lions.

The fourth official showed three minutes of second-half stoppage time and OCB did well to keep possession to see out the game. The only attempt into the final third in the dying minutes for Atlanta was a long ball by Senanou for Henry that went harmlessly out for a goal kick.

At full time, Atlanta had the advantage in shots (13-7), but OCB put more on target (4-3). Atlanta also had more crosses (6-0) and better passing accuracy (81.6%-80.9%), while both teams won four corner kicks.

The win extends OCB’s point streak to four games and breaks a run of three consecutive 2-2 draws. More importantly, it moves the Young Lions into fifth in the MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference, tied on points with Atlanta for fourth. They’re only one point behind Columbus Crew 2 for third, having played one fewer game.

OCB will wrap up its two-game road trip next Sunday afternoon when they take on New England Revolution II in Smithfield, RI.